Twenty Years of Reflection
by BitterSweet3
Summary: After not seeing one another for twenty years the boys have a reunion and swap stories and talk about old times. Poor Boots never get used, so HA this is for you Boots!!
1. Chapter 1

[Twenty Years of Reflection] [Chapter 1] [How's it rollin?]  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or Tibby's.  
  
A smile etched it's way onto my face as I reminisced on the past times I had spent with old friends from my childhood. What a bunch of wild guys we were, never a dull moment. Always waiting for the newest adventure, the newest girl, something to occupy our short attention spans. Contests to see who could sell the most papers everyday, who could outsell the previous winner. It's not like it made a difference though, the same guy always won. I let out a sarcastic laugh as I realized that that wasn't my life any more, and I took a sip from my beer and looked at myself in the reflection of the ale. What twenty years could do to a man, I wondered if any of my old pals had aged as I had. Upon thinking about them I got nervous, they would be there any minute.  
  
I wondered if they'd still like me, if they thought that since I had become a prestigious lawyer I had changed for the worse, forgotten my roots. I stared at my reflection and then closed my eyes trying to picture myself those 20 years younger. I peered over both of my shoulders, trying to picture the bar as it did 20 years ago, it used to be my favorite restaurant. Tibby's was it's name and us Newsboys ate their for almost every meal we could afford it. The room was so full of happy memories, so full that I could feel myself drowning because they were so overwhelming.  
  
"Can I get you another drink Mr. Bootarsky?" Asked the friendly bartender as he began to reach for my mug.  
  
"No thank you, I'm waiting on some friends." I said with a smile through my handle-bar mustache with a glimmer in my eye.  
  
I looked up at the clock hanging above the mantle piece to the left of me, five minutes stood between me and my companions. A shiver of excitement shot up my spine as I realized how long it had been since I'd seen them.  
  
"Boots?" A familiar voice questioned from behind me.  
  
I swung around in my bar stool and feeling so condensed in my happiness I just sat there for a moment, feeling almost as though I could cry of happiness.  
  
"Jack Kelly," I whispered as I slowly got up from my chair and shook his hand strongly. We both just stood there for a minute, in utter awe as we looked at each other without blinking.  
  
"That's a nice suit ya got there Boots," Jack said after we had snapped out of our stares. I looked at myself quickly and smiled at him.  
  
"Why thank you Jack," I said mockingly. Remembering a time long ago when Jack was the one wearing the expensive suit, at a most unthinkable time in our past.  
  
I looked at Jack, he still had that same charisma about him that could captivate the room with a single clear of his throat. He flashed his honey brown eyes at me and ran his hands through his sandy hair as we talked about our lives, and how it had been far to long since our last meeting.  
  
Jack had at one point in his life gone down to Santa Fe and tried to start a life down there a couple years after he had quit being a Newsie. He said it was fantastic until he realized how much he missed his girl friend Sarah and New York. At that point in time he came home to New York and married Sarah, and shortly after that they moved to Boston. He smiled as he relayed that he had just gotten a promotion at his job(executive movie producer) and was expecting a third child.  
  
I always idolized Jack, and to this day still do. He seemed so happy in his life, and it was great to share a drink with an old friend. Nothing but good old fashioned laughing happened when Jack and I got together, mostly about how every single day everyone would try to outsell him. As we sat there in our perfect moment another familiar face walked through the door. "Dave," Jack said standing up as a man with curly hair and sharp blue eyes approached our table with a smile plastered onto his face and his hand reaching out to shake Jack's and my hands. "David Jacob's." Jack repeated again as he neared our table and with that constant smile Dave looked at me with a smirk and said:  
  
"How's it rolling Boots?"  
  
*~*~*  
  
I always feel so sorry for Boots because he is never used in any stories, so I have decided to write a story about Boots.  
  
Review Puh-lease! 


	2. Chapter 2

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[Twenty Years of Reflection]

[Chapter 2]

Disclaimer: Yeah, felt the urge to write! Everything belongs to Disney!

"Shall I say Mr. Mayor?" I said cuttingly to Davey.

"Actually, yes." Said David looking quite serious indeed before breaking out into that laugh we all know and love. 

Jack looked at him, still not even having spoken, and just grinned at his childhood best friend. "How're the ladies treatin' ya Mr. Mayor?" He said with a little slap on the shoulder.

"Married, 2 kids." Davey said smugly, "It wasn't easy running for office with the wife being pregnant and all though!" 

"Who's this wife you speak of?" Jack and I said in sync with one another.

"A girl I met while traveling Europe, her name is Jaclyn, a nice Jewish girl going on the same little trip as I was.

Jack merely laughed at him, "I bet your parents were happy with the 'nice Jewish girl' part, would they settle for any less?"

"What do you think?" Dave asked looking at him skeptically.

"So, what have you boys been up to? Tell me everything!" Davey said trying to turn the attention away from him and to focus on the other two. 

He was the same as always, same curls, same eyes, good old Davey.

Then a younger man walked in, in his twenties I'd say. 

"Les!" David exclaimed, getting up to meet his younger brother.

They exchanged warm felt handshakes and brotherly love when Les took a seat at the table.

"Hey fellas, good to see you!"

Les had turned into a handsome man, dignified in his ways, reminiscent of a younger version of Mr. Jacob's.

"So Les, what have you been up to?" I asked him, breaking the ice.

Then the bartender brought us another round of drinks as we all sat there drinking them happily.

"Finished school a couple of years ago, met a girl," he said with a blush, "and, trying to figure out what to do with this young life of mine, haha."

Dave looked at him in half-shock, "Stop trying to show off in front of Jack, still." 

Les shot his brother a look of disgust and then to Jack, who was laughing under his breathe.

"It's OK Les, I can understand how one might want to idolize _me_," smiled Jack, "I mean, who's this handsome?"

At that point we all reached into the breadbasket and threw it at him. _Same old Jack._

Picking a piece of it up and stuffing it into his mouth, "I'm kidding!" he said, almost choking on the doughy bread in his mouth. 

We could all do nothing but roller our eyes at him. It truly felt like I was 12 years old again, with my friends.

Just as that thought entered my mind, I heard the familiar sound of a wood hitting the ground. I turned my big chocolate eyes away from my beer to see no other but Crutchy, same dumbfounded expression on his face, same good old crutchy.


	3. Chapter 3

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Dollface :: thank you kindly! I thought it was about time for Boots, he's so underrated!

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Blinks-Tiger:: ((giggles)) I honestly just kind of write what comes, I don't map it out… but hey, anything can happen!

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Splash :: hey I appreciate all the time I can get from anyone!

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Dream :: Thanks so much for reviewing, and thanks for the compliment!

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Randomness :: Ahh, thanks so much!!

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Kaylee :: Hey, I'm glad that I'm making your friend happy! I myself noticed the lack of Boots so I decided to write this haha! YOU DID THE PLAY NEWSIES? How jealous am I…

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Falco Conlon :: Hey, thank you kindly. I promise I will be kind to Spot,((checks room for Jack)) I love him very much, he's just such an easy bad guy! 

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Sexydaddymagnet69 :: QUITE THE NAME YOU GOT THERE! Silly girl! Thanks so much!

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A fish called sid :: wow, talk about great names. Thanks for reviewing!

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Twig :: hey thanks for that point, and I know theyre all family, but back then it was harder to see one another without planes, trains and automobiles… ya know? So, I decided that they saw each other seldomly. Because, I can.

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Littlewitch1899 :: I heart crutchy too, he's the cutest in a non-sexual kind of way ;o)

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Raeghann :: Here ya go, the next chapter, thanks for reviewing!!

[Twenty Years of Reflection]

By: Bittersweet

The waiter came over, and brought Crutchy a coke (he never was much of a drinker). He raised it to the heavens and proposed a toast, "To us," he said gently.

I looked over at the boy who had always given me so much hope, independent and courageous. He looked at me, thank his lucky stars he filled out some. He finally grew into those ears, the ones that stuck out from under his plaid cap, that seemed to wiggle with excitement every time he saw this girl or that.

His voice was different too, not so squeaky, not so young, but matured and masculine. I guess that's what you have to expect after 20 years of not seeing someone. None the less, this was Crutchy, the same Crutchy I had always remembered. 

Noticing how intently we were all staring at him, he merely laughed at us, shaking his head. "Yeah, I know, I've grown up some."

We all laughed nervously, it was just unbelievable. Other then the crutch and that dumbfound expression, he had just grown up so much.

"So, Crutchy, how's life?" asked Davey while taking a sip from his mug.

Crutchy grinned, so wide it stretched from ear to ear, "I met a girl."

I felt 12 again, 'ooooooing' and 'ahhhing' with my friends, as though girls still had cooties and our clothes didn't match.

"Her name is Mandy, she's amazing," he smiled snugly to himself. "We're engaged o be married, next autumn, and I want you all there."

"Mandy…Mandy…" Jack said, trying to put a face to the name, "do we know here Crutchy?"

Crutchy gave Jack a doubtful look, "Jack, the first thing I ask a girl before I even learn her name, is whether or not she _knows _Jack Kelly." The table burst into hysterics, until Davey realized what he was laughing about, and sat up straight.

"That's my sister you're talking about!" He said furiously.

"Oh lighten up Davey," smiled Les, "put that walking mouth to use and order us some drinks, ey?"

"Well fellas, I met Mandy down in Bay Shore. We were both volunteering at the same children's hospital, I do that in my spare time, and I don't know fellas, we fell in love." He gazed off, looking happy in a dumb-founded sort of way.

"Well, congratulations Crutchy, round of drinks on me," I said, patting my good friend on the back. "Besides volunteering, how else have you been making money these days?"

"You fella's are going to laugh at me, I just know it," he said, his cheeks turning red and him turning his eyes down to his coke. "I run the refuge a little farther up state, I love kids, and this way I get to be in charge." Then he looked up, and looked more confident, "I guess there aint no shame in that," and then he looked around at us.

"That's fantastic Crutchy, those children really need support from someone who cares." I said looking straight into his eyes.

"Yeah, unlike, do I dare say, Snyder?" Jack laughed, looking around at everyone trying to confine their laughs.

"Thankfully Crutchy, you look the same," said Davey, sitting down his mug full of beer. "You still talk to Race?"

"Someone say my name?" said a figure in the doorway, the familiarity of smoke arising from a cigar in his hand. He stepped closer, revealing himself to his friends.

"Racetrack Higgins, how the hell are you?"


	4. Chapter 4

[twenty years of reflection]

[by bittersweet]

'Heya Fellas," said Race, the same obnoxious New York accent, every syllable dripping with sarcasm. "Someone gonna get me a drink, or do I have to use these devilish good looks and charms to get a free beer?"

Sure he'd put on a little weight, but I guess I'd have to expect that from one of the skinniest fellows of all. Maybe this was what we call 'normal', but it still looked funny on him. His teeth were still crooked and his hair combed combed neatly on either side of his hair, he really did look just as I'd remembered him. The familiarity of a cigar perched in his lips made me almost laugh to myself, wondering what he'd do when he learned smoking stunted your growth. And of course, he'd been smoking since the ripe old age of twelve, and trust me, if ever there was an example of how smoking stunts your growth, Race was it.

"Race, man, it's good to see you," said Dave putting his hand on his shoulder. "What have you been up to?"

"Well," he paused and smirked, "Mr. Mayor," he paused again, "I opened up my own pub, I do a little stand-up every night."

Les laughed, "Yeah Race, I could only see you doing something like that, or maybe being a big gambler or something."

Racetrack laughed and then his face became completely serious. "Oh, and I bought The Sheepshead Racetrack." And then he looked down at his drink and began to drink it trying to avoid the guy's eyes.

They all stared at him with eyes the sizes of watermelons. They were in disbelief over it. "Are you serious Race?" Asked Jack, boldest to speak.

"Yeah, well." Said Race, his voice carrying off slightly. "I kinda fell for this girl, she actually used to be one of Medda's dancers. Tiffany."

"Oh I know Tiffany," said Jack laughing his way through it, nodding and bragging.

Racetrack looked at him and then reached across the table and hit him in the head. "Cowboy, do I look like I'm laughing? Didn't think so. So, I met this girl Tiffany and she said, 'Run away with me,' so, we did."

The guys watched him intently. I studied his hand movements; I studied the way his lips moved when he talked, I missed Race, just as I'd missed everyone else, so much.

"She wanted to be an actress, so we moved the best place for that stuff, Hollywood." He moved the cigar through the air carelessly creating smoke signals. "So she auditioned for this movie, to be a dancer, and they saw me and liked me. So, I kinda got the leading role. It was a huge hit back west, didn't make it as far as Montana though. It's a shame, I really looked forward to having you guys see it. But, eh, most of all I looked forward to coming back here to New York and being the King I guess. Oh well, I guess I'm the king of LA now huh?"

The guys laughed, "Was Tiffany mad?" I asked him, sipping my beer and twirling my mustache.

"Hell no Boots, she got to be my leading lady." He laughed, "So need I say more, I got rich pretty quick and bought the races, that's all I ever wanted anyways. To be funny and gamble, so now I can do both."

"Everyone's pretty late," said Crutchy glancing down at his watch. 'Where do you think they all are?"

"Lemme think about it," said Jack glancing at his watch.

"Hey Jack, you don't thinkin' yet?" said a Racetrack almost in hysterics. "You remember that one Jack?"

Jack laughed and rolled his eyes, "Yeah Race, I remember it."

"Sounds like Kelly's still doing to much talking," said a familiar voice. The company at the table turned to look over at the door.

"Spot Conlon, you haven't grown an inch."

bOuts to whom I'm shouting at /b 

Slick o' Brooklyn, Drama Queen, Falco Conlon, Glimmer, Hottie5star, Kaylee, SparkHiggins

(I attempted like… to do it personal but alas, I am retarded and decided against it.) mwhaha.

MAD LOVE AND LOBSTER CLAWS! 


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